Basketball retrieval and return device

ABSTRACT

A portable and free standing basketball retrieval and return device ( 10 ), the device including a basketball collector ( 11 ), a basketball return facility ( 12 ), and a support frame ( 13 ). The collector ( 11 ) has a body ( 14 ) extending between an inlet opening ( 15 ) and an exit opening ( 16 ) which openings ( 15,16 ) in use are spaced apart vertically. The inlet opening ( 15 ) is significantly larger than the exit opening ( 16 ) so that the collector body ( 14 ) funnels towards the exit opening ( 16 ). The return facility ( 12 ) is arranged to receive a basketball that passes through the exit opening ( 16 ) and to return the basketball to a home position remote from the collector ( 11 ). The return facility ( 12 ) includes a ramp ( 51 ) along which the basketball travels for return to the home position. The support frame ( 13 ) supports the collector ( 11 ) above a floor surface with the exit opening ( 16 ) aligned with the return facility ( 12 ). The ramp ( 51 ) is movable through an arc of at least 120° to alter the location of the home position, that movement being unimpeded by the collector ( 11 ) or the support frame ( 13 ).

This invention relates to a basketball retrieval and return device, inparticular a portable and free-standing device, for retrieving andreturning basketballs to a basketball player or shooter, to assistbasketball training.

A significant part of basketball training involves the repetitiousshooting for goal from different angles and distances from thebasketball ring. During such training, significant time can be spent orwasted collecting or retrieving basketballs that have been shot,particularly those basketballs that have rebounded off the ring orbackboard well away from the shooter. The amount of time taken toretrieve basketballs can be wasteful when the basketball shooter istraining alone and is required to retrieve the basketballs him orherself.

Basketball retrieval and return devices have been proposed before. U.S.Pat. No. 5,016,875 discloses a free-standing portable basketballretrieval and return device, which includes a basketball ring, a nettingfunnel and a return ramp. One drawback with the device disclosed in thispatent is that it is difficult to reposition the ramp to alter the endor home position to which a basketball is returned, because the supportstructure for the funnel projects alongside the ramp and therefore canimpede movement of the ramp to either side (hereinafter referred to as“slewing” movement). The patent itself is silent on ramp movement. Thus,the basketball shooter is either restricted to taking shots from aparticular position in front of the ring, or must return to the end ofthe ramp to collect a basketball and then move away from the ramp to theselected shooting position.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,957 also discloses a basketball retrieval device andwhile the majority of the disclosure of this patent is directed to theball collector component of the device, the patent again illustrates thelimitations associated with prior art free-standing devices, as theyrelate to the ability to alter the end or home position to which abasketball is returned. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,957, a pair of ramps isprovided on either side of a support post of the supporting frame of thedevice in order to provide two return positions. While this increasesthe number of positions to which a basketball can be returned, it stillis relatively inflexible and additionally, makes the device more complexand more difficult to set up and dismantle.

An alternative to freestanding devices are devices that are fixed toexisting basketball ring structures. U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,668 illustratesone arrangement of this kind. However the drawback with this type ofdevice, is that the device is required to be fixed to the backboard ofan existing basketball ring, which is very inconvenient and because ofthis, it normally means that the device is either permanently orsemi-permanently attached to the backboard. Thus, this type of device isnot very suitable for use with rings of actual basketball courts, unlessthe users are prepared to regularly mount and dismount the device.

Other forms of freestanding devices exist which employ sophisticatedreturn devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,503 provides aretrieval and return device which includes an electro/mechanicalejection arrangement. Basketballs which are collected by the device areejected from the device by an ejection mechanism and advantageously, thedirection of ejection is changeable and can be made to be constantlychangeable to constantly vary the position to which a basketball isreturned. While these devices are highly regarded, the major drawback istheir expense, weight and storage size.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,957 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,503 are additionallyprone to blocking or jamming when multiple basketballs are shot into thecollector at the one time. When this occurs, the usual process tounblock the collector outlet is to poke a rod or bar through the outlet,to jostle the basketballs so that they rearrange themselves into aposition that they can exit through the outlet. Thus, often someone ispositioned close to the outlet for this purpose, or the players usingthe device must break from shooting and unblock the outlet. This is anannoying inconvenience.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a basketballretrieval and return device that overcomes or at least alleviates one ormore of the foregoing disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, itwould be desirable to provide a device which can provide simpleadjustment of the position to which basketballs are returned, can beeasily installed and dismantled for storage and is easy to unblock.

The present invention provides basketball retrieval and return device,the device including:

-   -   a basketball collector,    -   a basketball return facility, and    -   a support frame    -   the collector has a body extending between an inlet opening and        an exit opening which openings in use are spaced apart        vertically, the inlet opening being significantly larger than        the exit opening so that the collector body funnels towards the        exit opening,    -   the return facility is arranged to receive a basketball that        passes through the exit opening and to return the basketball to        a home position remote from the collector, the return facility        includes a ramp along which the basketball travels for return to        the home position,    -   the support frame supports the collector above a floor surface        with the exit opening aligned with the return facility,    -   the ramp is movable through an arc of at least 120° to alter the        location of the home position, that movement being unimpeded by        the collector or the support frame.

The invention also provides a portable and free standing basketballretrieval and return device, the device including:

-   -   a flexible collector,    -   a return facility, and    -   a support frame    -   the collector has a body extending between an inlet opening and        an exit opening which openings in use are spaced apart        vertically, the inlet opening being significantly larger than        the exit opening so that the collector body funnels towards the        exit opening,    -   the return facility is arranged to receive a basketball that        passes through the exit opening and to return the basketball to        a home position remote from the collector, the return facility        includes a ramp for travel of the basketball along the ramp for        return to the home position,    -   the support frame supports the collector above a floor surface        at a height to position the exit opening above the guide of the        return facility and to align the exit opening with the guide,    -   the support frame includes a collector support and a floor        support, each of which includes a plurality of arms that are        connected to a central post and each of which extends laterally        away from the post in an operational condition, the arms of the        collector support have ends remote from the post which engage        and expand the collector in the operational condition, the arms        of the floor support having ends remote from the post for        engagement with the floor surface,    -   each of the exit opening and the post being aligned generally        coaxially.

The invention further provides a portable and free standing basketballretrieval and return device, the device including:

-   -   a basketball collector,    -   a basketball return facility, and    -   a support frame    -   the collector has a body extending between an inlet opening and        an exit opening which openings in use are spaced apart        vertically, the inlet opening being generally circular and        significantly larger than the exit opening so that the collector        body funnels towards the exit opening,    -   the return facility is arranged to receive a basketball that        passes through the exit opening and to return the basketball to        a home position remote from the collector, the return facility        includes a ramp along which the basketball travels for return to        the home position,    -   the support frame supports the collector above a floor surface        with the exit opening aligned with the return facility.

Devices of some forms of the invention can advantageously permit theramp to be movable through a wide arc without being impeded by otherstructural components of the device, in particular the basketballcollector or the support frame. Thus, a user of the device can alter thehome position easily and thus easily shoot from different angles withoutwasting time moving to and from the ramp end or having to makesignificant manual adjustment or the position of the ramp.

The present invention provides other advantages which will becomeapparent from the discussion that follows.

The return facility can include a guide in addition to the ramp, whichis operable to guide a basketball which egresses the exit opening to theramp for travel of the basketball along the ramp. In this arrangement,the support frame supporting the collector can be arranged to positionthe exit opening of the collector at a height which aligns the exitopening with the guide.

In some arrangements, two or more ramps are employed and in thosearrangements, the guide can be arranged to selectively guide basketballsbetween the ramps. The diverter can take any suitable form, and forexample, can include a see-saw mechanism, which diverts a firstbasketball to a first ramp and a second basketball to a second ramp andthen a third basketball back to the first ramp and so on. Otherarrangements can be employed, such as electrical arrangements, althoughthe preference is for non-electrical arrangements to be employed so thatconnection to an electrical supply is not required. The benefit ofemploying two or more ramps, is simply that a plurality of shooters canemploy the device of the invention at one time and shoot from differentangles.

It is preferable that the inlet opening of the collector is at leastpartially of a horse shoe or U-shaped form. While the sides or thecollector can be straight or relatively straight, with a convexly curvedfront end, i.e. with the front end projecting forwardly or away from thebackboard to a greater extent than if the inlet opening was square orrectangular, it is preferred that the sides are curved, preferably tothe same or similar curvature as the front. Thus, the inlet opening canbe generally circular, although as will become apparent from thediscussion that follows, the inlet opening will not form a full orclosed circle, but rather, will form the major part of a circle only.

The prior art generally discloses square or rectangular collectors.However, the area of collection of such shapes of inlet is less than ifthe inlet is formed curved according to the invention, such as agenerally horse shoe or U-shaped form. According to the invention, ifthe inlet opening is formed to have a part circular shape, ¾ circularshape for example, of a diameter D, the catchment area of the inletopening is greater than if the inlet opening was generally square orrectangular with the same major diameter D. Additionally, if the squareor rectangular collectors of the prior art are made larger to achievethe same area of collection as the present invention, the supportstructures for those collectors generally become larger and so tend tofurther impede the ramp against movement. Thus, an improvement incollection area is offset by a reduction in available ramp movement.Still further, in a larger square or rectangular collector, the cornersproject too far from the ring, so making the device ineffective forcloser range shooting practice from certain angles. This will becomemore evident from the figures which are discussed later herein.

In a horse shoe or U-shaped form as described above, the inlet openingdefines a gap opposite the front end thereof, and the ring can projectinto the collector through the gap.

The curve of the inlet opening can be of constant radius, so that theinlet opening is part circular, or it can be part oval or ellipsoid, orany suitable shape. What is advantageous is that in some arrangements,the distance from the rim to the ring is substantially constant for amajor portion of the extent of the rim.

The inlet opening can be defined by a generally horizontal rim.Deviations from absolute horizontal are acceptable, so that the rimcould extend upwardly or downwardly from adjacent a backboard, howeverit is preferred that any deviation be only slight or minor. A majoradvantage of this is that the rim can be positioned relative to the ringand the shooter to cause the shooter to shoot at the optimum trajectory.This is because the height of the rim from the floor can besubstantially constant, as can the distance from the rim to the ring.Thus, substantially the same shooting trajectory will be required fromall angles around the ring. This differs from some prior artarrangements which have square or rectangular collectors, in which boththe distance from the rim to the ring varies as well as the height ofthe rim relative to the ring. While these variations can be relativelyminor, they nevertheless permit the shooter to shoot at a trajectorythat is not optimum and thus they reduce the benefits of training.

The consistency in trajectory that can be achieved with the presentinvention, is an extremely important characteristic during shootingtraining. What is intended to be achieved during training is that theshooter continuously shoots at the same trajectory and learns thattrajectory for later use during actual basketball games. Prior artdevices seek to achieve the same consistency in trajectory, but failgiven the use of collectors which have an inlet of square or rectangularshape. Thus, the present invention is envisaged to provide much bettertraining outcomes.

The inlet rim can have any suitable form, however in one form at leastthe forward end portion of the rim, but preferably the entire rim, isresiliently flexible. This can be provided by a resiliently flexiblepole which extends through a sleeve or rings formed at a forward end ofthe rim. Any suitable pole can be employed, such as a solid_fibreglassrod with PVC plastic outer coating with sections joined together ifnecessary such as by male and female threaded ends. The adoption of thisarrangement facilitates ease in disassembly for collapsing, because thepole can be easily removed from the rim leaving the rim easilycollapsible. Additionally, the pole can maintain the rim generallyhorizontal and in the generally circular or horse shoe shape that ispreferred.

While a single rod can be provided, for ease of collapsibility andstorage, two or three rods are preferred. Two of the rods can form acurved side of the rim, while the third rod can form the curved front ofthe rim. The back of the rim can be open.

The collector can be formed into a conical inverted pyramid, or anysuitable funnel shape.

The collector can be formed to be removed from the support frame in itsconical or funnelled condition, or it can be folded and removed. Theadvantage of removing the collector from the support frame in itsconical or funnelled condition, is that it can be stored in thatcondition so that reassembly of the device does not require unfolding ofthe collector.

As explained above, the invention can provide for unimpeded rotation ofthe ramp through a significant arc of at least 120°. However, greaterarc extents can be achieved, such as 150°, 180° or 210°. Even greaterarcs of rotation can be achieved, although the maximum useful arcrequired is expected to be about 225°. The practical advantage of thisis significant in permitting simple and unhindered slewing movement ofthe ramp to new positions relative to the ring. It is feasible forexample, to move the ramp for each shot to constantly vary the shootingposition and this can be achieved through a wide arc without having todismantle any part of the device. This is a significant advantageprovided by the present invention, which provides significant benefitsin basketball training. Moreover, this is clearly not readily achievablein prior art arrangements in which the arc of movement is oftenrestricted by structural parts of the device, so that only small anglesof movement are available, or partial dismantling of the device isrequired to move the ramp from one position to the next.

Movement of the ramp through an arc can be achieved by supporting oneend of the ramp, proximal the exit opening of the collector, forrotation. The support can be of any suitable kind, although in onearrangement, a rotatable platform is supported on the support frame. Theplatform could be a circular disc that rotates on a bearing supported onthe support frame. By this arrangement, slewing movement of the ramp canbe as simple as moving or sweeping the distal end of the ramp throughthe desired arc to reposition the distal ramp end where desired. This isa highly advantageous arrangement that allows the basketball shooter toselect virtually any angle of shooting that is possible relative to abasketball ring. Additionally, it requires no disassembly of any part ofthe ramp or support frame unlike the prior art arrangements.

Moreover, the ramp can be supported on the floor surface on rollers, sothat movement between angled positions is smooth and does not requirethe ramp to be lifted.

Other arrangements can easily be envisaged to provide for slewingmovement of the ramp. For example, in a very simple arrangement, one endof the ramp can be secured relative to the support frame by a pinreceived within rotatably within an opening. Other arrangements are alsopossible.

The device of the invention can include a collector support and a floorsupport, each of which extend from a support post which extendsgenerally vertically. In one arrangement, each of the exit opening ofthe collector and the support post are aligned generally coaxially.

In one arrangement, the ramp commences at a position which is offsetfrom coaxial alignment with the exit opening and the post. In thatarrangement, a guide can be provided, which is operable to divert abasketball from the exit opening to the ramp. As indicated earlier, theguide can divert basketballs between two or more ramps as can beprovided in some embodiments of the invention.

In the arrangement in which the support frame includes a collectorsupport, a floor support and a support post, the ramp can commence at aposition intermediate both the collector and floor supports. Thisarrangement is one way in which the ramp can be allowed to move throughthe desired generally horizontal arc, unimpeded by either the collectoror the support frame. Various other arrangements also exist.

One or each of the collector support and the floor support can be formedto have a plurality of arms that are connected to the support post andwhich extend laterally away from the post. In this form of collectorsupport, the ends of the arms remote from the post can engage andsupport the collector, such as the rim of the collector. In thisarrangement, any number of arms can be employed, although four majorarms have been found to be suitable to support the collector at fourspaced apart positions. Other minor arms can be provided forsupplementary support, such as to form a gap through which the ringextends into the collector.

Advantageously, if the rim of the inlet opening of the collector isformed partially or fully curved as described earlier, such as by aresilient and flexible pole, the forward end and sides of the inletopening can project further forward and sideways than the positions atwhich the rim is supported by the arms. This is different to prior artarrangements which employ generally square or rectangular openings, inwhich the supports for those arrangements often are required to beprovided at the very front of the inlet opening. Thus, the presentinvention can provide, as indicated earlier, an inlet opening of moreoptimal shape and greater catchment area than in prior art arrangementsand in particular, can position the supports out of the slew path of theramp.

If either of the collector support or the floor support includes arms asdescribed above, the arms can be pivotally connected to the support postso that the arms can pivot between positions in which they extendgenerally parallel to the post in a collapsed condition and laterallyaway from the post in an operational condition. By collapsing the armsin this manner, the device can be collapsed to a relatively small andeasily manageable size, for ease with transport and storage.

In the arrangement discussed above, in which one or both of thecollector support and the floor support include arms which are pivotallyconnected to the support post, the arms can additionally slidablyconnected to the post. By connecting the arms in this manner, thecollapsed height of the device can be less than the operational height,or at least, the collapsed height can be about the same as theoperational height.

In an alternative arrangement, one or each of the collector support andthe floor support can be removably connected to the support post, sothat the device can be disassembled and the supports collapsed fortransport and storage. For example, the collector support can beremovably connected to the post, while the floor support is permanentlyconnected to the post. The collector support can include a female socketfor insertion over a male portion of the post to which the floor supportis permanently connected. The female socket can be one end of a postwhich forms part of the collector support. The support post cantherefore be constructed in a variety of ways and can be a compositepost of a plurality of parts. Some of those parts can form part of thecollector support and other parts can form part of the floor support,whereby connection of the various parts together forms the overallsupport post.

The collector support can be connected permanently or semi-permanentlyto the collector, so that both the collector support and the collectorcan be assembled to the device as one. In this arrangement, both thecollector support and the collector can be collapsible together. Thissimplifies both the assembly and disassembly of the device where thedevice is collapsible.

The device can be relatively lightweight and in one arrangement, thefloor support includes wheels so that the device can be wheeled intoposition. The weight of the device means that this can usually be doneby one person only. Where the device includes a floor support which hasa plurality of arms that engage a floor surface, two of the arms caninclude wheels or castors or the like at their distal ends, which eitherare in permanent surface engagement, or which are engageable with thefloor surface when the device is to be moved. The other two arms caninclude means to prevent movement of the device, such as rubber stops orsuction caps.

In one arrangement, the ramp can be adjustable in length, so that thedistance to which a basketball is returned from the exit opening, can bevaried. This allows a basketball shooter to vary the distance he or sheis shooting away from the ring. Thus, the present invention allows forangular adjustment and distance adjustment of the ramp, therebyproviding for maximum adjustment in the position to which a basketballis returned.

The home position to which a basketball is returned can be a stopposition, i.e. the basketball is rendered stationary for pick-up by theshooter, or the home position can be a position at which the basketballleaves the ramp. In the former arrangement, the ramp can include a ballstop, which can be adjustably positioned along the length of the ramp.In the latter arrangement, the basketball can roll off the end of theramp to bounce to the shooter, similar to game conditions in which thebasketball is passed or returned to the shooter on the bounce.

The device of the invention is a free-standing device, such that it canbe moved into position relative to a ring when required and taken awayfrom the ring when not required. It is not necessary for the collectorto be fixed to the ring or the backboard, but rather, the collector ismoved into a position relative to the ring. The device can includebumpers to abut against the ring backboard, simply for correctpositioning of the device.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how it may beperformed, embodiments thereof will now be described, by way ofnon-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.In the drawings, the same reference numerals identify the same or likecomponents:

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a basketball retrieval and returndevice according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an upper portion of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the device of FIG. 1, butincluding an extended ramp arrangement.

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the upper end of the ramp of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 illustrates a comparison between prior art arrangements and thepresent invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a basketball retrieval and return device 10is illustrated which includes a collector 11, a return facility 12 and asupport frame 13.

The collector 11 is formed from a flexible netting material 14,preferably synthetic netting, which extends between an inlet opening 15and an exit opening 16.

The inlet opening 15 is significantly larger than the exit opening 16and in that arrangement it can be seen that the netting 14 forms afunnel from the inlet opening 15 to the exit opening 16. FIGS. 1 and 2show the inlet opening 15 as being part circular, and that is thepreference for the shape of the inlet opening. The inlet opening willhowever be hereinafter described as being of a horse shoe shape, andthat is intended to convey that the inlet rim is generally circular, orclose to circular, as like a horse shoe.

The inlet opening 15 is shaped by a resiliently flexible pole, which isinserted through a zippered sleeve in the rim 17 of the opening 15 andthat allows the rim 17 to take the substantially horse shoe shaped formillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Moreover, the flexibility of the polewithin the rim 17 ensures that the collector 11 is robust against thenumerous impact loads that the rim 17 will suffer during use of thedevice 10.

Referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the collector 11 defines a reargap or recess 18 which is formed in a substantially V-shape, whichallows the collector 11 to be placed against a backboard 19, with thering 20 extending within the recess 18. It is clear from FIG. 1 that therim 17 of the inlet opening 15 extends to a position well above the ring20.

The collector 11 is supported by a support frame, which comprises acollector support 25 and a floor support 26. Each of the collectorsupport 25 and the floor support 26 includes a plurality of major arms27, 28 that are pivotal between expanded and collapsed positions. Thearms 27, 28 each extend from a central post 29. The collector support 25is removable from the position shown for storage.

In the arrangement illustrated, each of the arms 27 and 28 extend awayfrom the post 29 in the operative, expanded condition of the device 10illustrated in FIG. 1. In that condition, the arms 27 extend from thepost 29 and into connection with the collector 11 and the arrangement issuch that with the arms 27 in the position shown in FIG. 1, thecollector 11 is fully expanded, with the rim 17 being substantiallyhorizontal and the exit opening 16 being positioned generally coaxiallywith the post 29.

Extending from the arms 27, are a plurality of ties 30 which attach tothe exit opening 16, while a pair of minor arms or struts 31 (see alsoFIG. 2), engage the base of the recess 18 to firmly position the recessbase below the ring 20. The ties 30 are optional only and in fact, ithas surprisingly been found that by omitting the ties, blockage orjamming of the exit opening 16 can be reduced. It seems that by allowingthe exit opening 16 to move freely, the propensity for a basketball tojam or block the exit opening 16 when a plurality of basketballs havebeen shot into the collector 11, is substantially reduced.

The collector support 25 includes a female tube 32 which receives a malepost 33. The post 33 is loosely or snugly received within the tube 32 topermit rotation of the collector 11 relative to the floor support 26.The collector support 25 is attached to the tube 32 at two spaced apartpositions, namely, at the distal end 35 of the arms 27, and at aposition 36 which is inboard of the distal end 35. The connection atposition 36 is a fixed connection to the tube 32, while the connectionat the distal end 35 is a sliding connection. Thus, as the arms 27 aremoved from the operational position shown in FIG. 1, to a collapsedcondition, the distal end 35 slides downwardly along the tube 32. It isto be noted that the struts 37 which extend between the arms 27 and theconnector 36 are pivotally connected between the arms 27 and theconnector 36, so that as the arms 27 are collapsed inwardly to aposition generally parallel to the central post 29, the struts 37 rotateto allow that collapsing to take place.

The floor support 26 comprises four arms 28 that are pivotally connectedto the post 29 by a slidable connector 40, which is slidable lengthwiseof the post 29. Connected to the arms 28 are four struts 41 which extendfrom each arm to a connector 42, that is fixably connected to one end ofthe post 29. The arms 28 collapse inwardly to a position in which theyextend generally parallel to the post 29, by pivoting movement of thearms 28 relative to the connector 40 and the struts 41. The struts 41also pivot relative to the connector 42. When the arms 28 are collapsedinwardly, the connector 40 slides upwardly relative to the post 29.

Wheels 43 are fixed to one end of two of the arms 28, while rubber stops44 are fixed to one end of the other of the arms 28. The rubber stops 44assist to prevent movement of the device 10 when they engage a floorsurface, while the wheels 43 facilitate movement of the device 10 simplyby tipping the device 10 to lift the stops 44 from the floor andwheeling the device 10 to the desired position.

The device 10 further includes a return facility, which comprises aguide 50 and a ramp 51. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the guide 50 includesguide member 52 and guide members 53, with the guide member 52 extendingfrom one end of the post 29, into connection with a ring 54, which ispositioned coaxially with the exit opening 16. The guide members 53 arealso connected to the ring 54 and to a further ring 55.

A basketball which enters the collector 11 and is funnelled through theexit 16 passes through the ring 54 and engages against the guide member52. The effect of gravity is such as to cause the basketball to movepast the guide member 52 and via the guide members 53 the basketball isguided through the ring 55. The arrows A show the path a basketball justdescribed.

A basketball which has been guided through the guide 50 is directed tothe ramp 51, which includes a framed arrangement 56 to capture thebasketball. Upon depositing of the basketball at the end of the ramp 51at which the frame arrangement 56 is disposed, the basketball will tendto travel down the ramp 51 in the direction of arrow B by virtue of theramp 51 being set at a slight decline. Only a short section of the ramp51 is illustrated in FIG. 1, while the full ramp is illustrated in FIG.3 and will be described in relation to that figure later herein.

The end of the ramp 51 at which the frame arrangement 56 is disposed, issupported on a rotatable platform 60, which is supported on a strut 61.This arrangement is also shown in FIG. 4. A bearing 62 is interposedbetween the strut 61 and the platform 60 to allow the platform to rotatein the direction of arrow C (FIG. 1). The strut 61 is fixed at a bottomend thereof to a pair of the arms 28 by a bar 63 (FIG. 4). Channels 64are fixed to opposite ends of the bar 63. The channels are U-shaped sothat they can accept the arms 28 on which they are supported, while theyare equally easily removable for storing the ramp separately from theother components of the device 10.

The arrangement of the platform 60, allows the ramp 51 to be pivotedmore than 120°, unimpeded by either the collector 11 or the supportframe 13. In fact, the ramp 51 can be pivoted beyond 225° in thearrangement illustrated. This is in contrast to many prior art devices,in which the support structure impedes any rotation of the ramp, so thata user of the device is not easily able to alter the home position towhich a basketball is returned. Consequently, the prior art devices ofthat kind are less convenient to use.

FIG. 3 shows the device 10 with the ramp 51 shown in full. The ramp 51includes an extension 66 on which is mounted a ball stop 67. Theextension 66 can be disconnected from the ramp 51, so that the ramp isformed as shown in FIG. 1, with the end 68 suspended above the floorsurface and allowing a basketball to freely travel off the ramp 51. Inthat arrangement, the basketball will bounce back to the shooter in amanner akin to the shooter having the basketball passed to him or her onthe bounce.

In the alternative arrangement of FIG. 3, basketballs can accumulate infront of the ball stop 67.

The extension 66 is supported on a trolley 69, which comprises wheeledtrolley ends 70 and 71, which extend from a bridging track 72.Advantageously, if the extension 66 is disconnected from the ramp 51,the extension 66 nests in the track 72 and the extension assembly canthereafter be wheeled away.

The arrangement of FIG. 3 is an adjustable arrangement, in that theextension 66 can be lengthened by the bridging track 72. This isachieved by moving the trolley 69 outwardly, so that the extension 66extends into the bridging track 72. The ball stop 67 can be disconnectedfrom the extension 66 and reconnected to the bridging track 72 at asuitable stop position.

Accordingly, the total ramp length for basketball travel, can comprisethe ramp 51, the extension 66 and substantially the full length of thebridging track 72. However, it is possible to use only a portion of thebridging track 72 as required, so that the total length of basketballtravel can be varied. The ball stop 67 can simply comprise a frictionclamp on the bars of the extension 66 or the bridging track 72 and iseasily removed and repositioned.

It will be seen that the trolley ends 70 and 71 can be collapsedinwardly generally parallel to the bridging track 72 and when theextension 66 is disconnected from the ramp 51, the extension 66 can alsobe collapsed to a generally parallel position relative to the track 72.Thus, the extension 66, the track 72 and the trolley ends 70 and 71 allcollapse to form an assembly which is easy to move and store.

It is noted that the device 10 as illustrated in the figures employs theguide 50 to redirect a basketball from the exit opening 16 of thecollector 11 to the frame arrangement 56 of the ramp 51. In analternative arrangement, the ramp 51 can extend to a position directlybelow the exit opening 16, so that the guide 50 is not required. Thus,the frame arrangement 56 can be arranged for mounting on the distal endof the post 33. The only drawback with that arrangement, is that theramp 51 projects between the forward projecting pair of arms 27 of thecollector support 25, thereby limiting the amount of slewing movement ofthe ramp 51.

FIG. 3 further illustrates a highly unique and attractive feature of thepresent invention, being an arrangement to unblock the exit opening 16in the event that multiple basketballs have been shot into the collector11 and have not aligned for proper exit through the exit opening 16. Theunblocking arrangement includes a cord 80 which extends to a handle 81at one end and to a pulley 82 at the opposite end. The cord 80 extendsthrough the pulley 82 and down into contact either with or adjacent tothe exit opening 16. Unblocking of the exit opening 16 is achievedsimply by tugging on the cord 80, which jostles the exit opening 16 andany basketballs that are backed-up behind the exit opening 16 so thatthe basketballs can shift into a position at which they can exit throughthe exit opening 16.

The arrangement of the cord 80 simplifies the unblocking procedure ofthe prior art, which typically involves poking a rod or bar through theexit opening to jostle the basketballs which are backed-up behind it.With the cord arrangement, the cord can be routed to any suitableposition, and for example, it could be routed to a position adjacent theball stop 67, so that it is always close to the basketball shooter.Alternatively, in the position shown in FIG. 3, the cord is easy tolocate and pull to effect unblocking of the exit opening 16.

It will be appreciated that other arrangements could be provided whichoperate in the same way as the cord 80. All that is necessary, is forthe exit opening 16 to be vibrated or jostled in a sufficient manner tomove the basketballs which are backed-up behind it and which allows thebasketballs to realign behind the exit opening 16 for passagetherethrough.

FIG. 1 shows the device 10 in a fully expanded or operational condition.It can be seen that the device is adjacent a backboard 19, and the ring20 is located within the collector 11. Two of the arms 27 of thecollector support 25 include bumpers 65 which abut against the frontsurface of the backboard 19.

To disassemble the device 10 for transport or storage, the collectorsupport 25 is lifted from the central post 29 and any pole that iscontained within the rim 17 is removed also. Thereafter, the arms 27 ofthe collector support 25 are pivoted to a generally parallel condition.This bunches up the netting 14 without requiring the netting to bedisconnected from the arms 27. However, it is possible to remove thenetting 14 prior to moving the arms 27 to the generally parallelcondition, such as if it is thought that the net might be damaged byremaining connected to the arms 27 during transport of the arms 27.Alternatively, the netting 14 can be lifted from the arms 27 withoutremoving the pole that is contained within the rim 17, and the nettingcan be stored in that condition. This eliminates the need to thread thepole through the rim when the device 10 is next used.

The arrangement comprising the strut 61 is removed from connection withthe arms 28 and thereafter, the arms 28 can be collapsed to a positionat which they are generally parallel, with the connector 40 shiftinglengthwise of the post 29. The ramp 51 can be collapsed lengthwise asnecessary and can be disconnected from the platform 60 if required.

By the above disassembly procedure, the device 10 can conveniently bedisassembled for storage or transport and reassembly is the reverse ofthe above. It can therefore be seen that assembly and disassembly of thedevice 10 is convenient and simple and in fact can be completed by oneperson on his or her own. The normal disassembly and assembly time isabout 4 minutes or under, which makes the device 10 very attractive fortraining purposes. Alternative to disassembling the device 10, thedevice 10 can simply be wheeled to a position for storage in anassembled condition and returned to the backboard 19 when it is requiredfor training purposes.

Referring now to FIG. 5, this schematically shows a comparison betweenthe catchment area of the collector 11, and the catchment area of twoalternative collectors, which are formed to have a square rim. FIG. 5 isillustrative of the increase in catchment area against a smallerrectangular collector, and is further illustrative of the benefits ofthe circular rim of the collector 11 over a larger rectangularcollector.

In relation to the circular collector 11, the rim 17 is supported ateach of the support points 85 and 86. These support points correspond tothe distal ends of the arms 27 shown in FIG. 1.

An alternative collector of a square shape is shown by S₁ in FIG. 5.This collector has the same support points 85 and 86 as the collector11. It is readily apparent from FIG. 5, that the catchment area of thecollector 11 is greater than that of S₁, the difference being in thecross-hatched area shown in FIG. 5.

The alternative collector represented by S₂ has different support points90, to provide an increase in the catchment area over the collector 11.However, while an increased catchment area is provided, the supportsthat extend to the support points 90 are more likely to impede rampmovement.

In addition, the square catchment area of each of the collectors S₁ orS₂. affects the shooting trajectory of a basketball as explained below.

The distance from the rim 17 to the ring 20 is substantially constant,which is clearly not the case with either of the collectors S₁ or S₂.Thus there is consistency in the trajectory about a wide angle about thering 20 which is not the case with either of the collectors S₁ or S₂.For example, a shot which travels over the front support points 90 ofthe collector S₂ must travel further than a shot which is taken betweenthe front support points 90. However, a shot which is taken anywherebetween the support points 85, requires the same distance to the ring20. This is the case for at least about a 75° arc (about 150° in total)on either side of directly in front of the ring 20. This highlyadvantageous feature of the present invention provides for consistencyin the trajectory of shots taken.

Moreover, appropriate shooting trajectories from over one of the supportpoints 90 are shown in FIG. 1 by the paths T₁, T₂ in which thetrajectory T₁ relates to the circular collector 11, while the trajectoryT₂ relates to the square collector S₂. It can be seen by thesetrajectories, that for a similar end point at the ring 20, the shootermust stand further back for the square collector S₂. Thus, the device ofthe invention is better suited to small children, because they do nothave to shoot the basketball as far.

Moreover, the trajectory T₁ can be employed all around the rim 17 of thecollector 11, because of the consistency in distance from the ring 20.This is not the case with the collector S₂, because while the trajectoryT₂ is appropriate for shooting over the support points 90, thetrajectory T₁ is appropriate for shooting directly in front of the ring20.

The circular rim 17 therefore provides significant benefits over squareor rectangular collectors, which principally have been employed in theprior art, by maximising the collection area and providing forconsistency in shot trajection.

The invention described herein is susceptible to variations,modifications and/or additions other than those specifically describedand it is to be understood that the invention includes all suchvariations, modifications and/or additions which fall within the spiritand scope of the above description.

1-24. (canceled)
 25. A portable and free standing basketball retrievaland return device, the device including: a basketball collector, abasketball return facility, and a support frame the collector has a bodyextending between an inlet opening and an exit opening which openings inuse are spaced apart vertically, the inlet opening being significantlylarger than the exit opening so that the collector body funnels towardsthe exit opening, the return facility is arranged to receive abasketball that passes through the exit opening and to return thebasketball to a home position remote from the collector, the returnfacility includes a ramp along which the basketball travels for returnto the home position, the support frame supports the collector above afloor surface with the exit opening aligned with the return facility,and includes a collector support and a floor support, the collectorsupport includes a plurality of arms that extend upwardly and that haveends which engage and support the collector, the floor support beingpositioned below the collector support and including a plurality of armsthat extend downwardly and that have ends remote from the post whichrest on a floor surface, the ramp commences at a position substantiallyintermediate the collector support and the floor support and is movablethrough an arc of at least 120° to alter the location of the homeposition, that movement being unimpeded by the collector or the supportframe.
 26. A device according to claim 25, the support frame including asupport post which extends generally vertically and the arms of each ofthe collector support and the floor support being connected to the postand extending laterally away from the post.
 27. A device according toclaim 25, wherein the inlet opening of the collector is defined by agenerally horizontal rim.
 28. A device according to claim 25, whereinthe inlet opening of the collector is defined by a resiliently flexiblerim.
 29. A device according to claim 28, wherein the resilientlyflexible rim is formed by a resiliently flexible pole which extendsthrough a sleeve.
 30. A device according to 25, wherein the ramp ismovable through a generally horizontal arc of at least 150° unimpeded bythe collector or the support frame.
 31. A device according to claim 25,wherein the ramp is movable through a generally horizontal arc of atleast 180° unimpeded by the collector or the support frame.
 32. A deviceaccording to claim 25, wherein the ramp is movable through a generallyhorizontal arc of at least 210° unimpeded by the collector or thesupport frame.
 33. A device according to claim 25, wherein one end ofthe ramp is supported for rotation to move through a generallyhorizontal arc on a rotatable platform.
 34. A device according to claim33, wherein the rotatable platform is supported on the support frame.35. A device according to claim 26, each of the exit opening of thecollector and the support post being aligned generally coaxially.
 36. Adevice according to claim 35, the ramp commences at a position offsetfrom coaxial alignment with the exit opening and the post.
 37. A deviceaccording to claim 26, the plurality of collector support arms beingpivotally connected to the post so that the arms can pivot betweenpositions in which they extend generally parallel to the post in acollapsed condition and laterally away from the post in an operationalcondition.
 38. A device according to claim 37, wherein the plurality ofcollector support arms are slidably connected to the central post.
 39. Adevice according to claim 26, the plurality of floor support arms beingpivotally connected to the post so that the arms can pivot betweenpositions in which they extend generally parallel to the post in acollapsed condition and laterally away from the post in an operationalcondition.
 40. A device according to claim 39, the plurality of floorsupport arms are slidably connected to the central post.
 41. A deviceaccording to claim 25, wherein the ramp is adjustable in length.
 42. Aportable and free standing basketball retrieval and return device, thedevice including: a flexible collector, a return facility, and a supportframe the collector has a body extending between an inlet opening and anexit opening which openings in use are spaced apart vertically, theinlet opening being significantly larger than the exit opening so thatthe collector body funnels towards the exit opening, the return facilityis arranged to receive a basketball that passes through the exit openingand to return the basketball to a home position remote from thecollector, the return facility includes a ramp for travel of thebasketball along the ramp for return to the home position, and a guidefor guiding a basketball from the exit opening to the ramp, the supportframe supports the collector above a floor surface at a height toposition the exit opening above a guide of the return facility and toalign the exit opening with the guide, the support frame includes acollector support and a floor support, each of which includes aplurality of arms that are connected to a central post and each of whichextends laterally away from the post in an operational condition, thearms of the collector support have ends remote from the post whichengage and expand the collector in the operational condition, the armsof the floor support having ends remote from the post for engagementwith the floor surface, each of the exit opening and the post beingaligned generally coaxially.
 43. A portable and free standing basketballretrieval and return device, the device including: a basketballcollector, a basketball return facility, and a support frame thecollector has a body extending between an inlet opening and an exitopening which openings in use are spaced apart vertically, the inletopening being generally circular and significantly larger than the exitopening so that the collector body funnels towards the exit opening, thereturn facility is arranged to receive a basketball that passes throughthe exit opening and to return the basketball to a home position remotefrom the collector, the return facility includes a ramp along which thebasketball travels for return to the home position, the support framesupports the collector above a floor surface with the exit openingaligned with the return facility.